McMartin: A boat is a hole in the water to pour life into

Peter McMartin, Vancouver Sun04.19.2012

New Westminster, BC: APRIL 18, 2012 -- Randy Cunningham builds high-end carbon fibre bikes for a living. But in his spare time he is rebuilding a Second World War-era US Navy patrol boat. The boat is currently under renovations at a dry-dock in New Westminster, BCJason Payne
/ PNG

New Westminster, BC: APRIL 18, 2012 -- Randy Cunningham builds high-end carbon fibre bikes for a living. But in his spare time he is rebuilding a Second World War-era US Navy patrol boat. The boat is currently under renovations at a dry-dock in New Westminster, BC. Pictured is Cunningham standing next to a 1943 Hall-Scott 2200-cubic inch V-12 gas engine that will be overhauled, and placed along another, in his boat.Jason Payne
/ PNG

New Westminster, BC: APRIL 18, 2012 -- Randy Cunningham builds high-end carbon fibre bikes for a living. But in his spare time he is rebuilding a Second World War-era US Navy patrol boat. The boat is currently under renovations at a dry-dock in New Westminster, BC.Jason Payne
/ PNG

New Westminster, BC: APRIL 18, 2012 -- Randy Cunningham builds high-end carbon fibre bikes for a living. But in his spare time he is rebuilding a Second World War-era US Navy patrol boat. The boat is currently under renovations at a dry-dock in New Westminster, BC.Jason Payne
/ PNG

New Westminster, BC: APRIL 18, 2012 -- Randy Cunningham builds high-end carbon fibre bikes for a living. But in his spare time he is rebuilding a Second World War-era US Navy patrol boat. The boat is currently under renovations at a dry-dock in New Westminster, BC. Marine service technician Mark Nossiter holds the tarp, right, as cunningham inspects repairs.Jason Payne
/ PNG

New Westminster, BC: APRIL 18, 2012 -- Randy Cunningham builds high-end carbon fibre bikes for a living. But in his spare time he is rebuilding a Second World War-era US Navy patrol boat. The boat is currently under renovations at a dry-dock in New Westminster, BC.Jason Payne
/ PNG

When Randy Cunningham was five years old, he saw the boat for the first time.

It was a patrol boat, circa Second World War. It was the American kind made famous by John Kennedy’s PT-109. The boat Cunningham saw was owned by the B.C. Forest Service, and it had been converted into a log scaler. It would roar past Cunningham’s childhood home in West Vancouver. The boat was big and sleek and fast.

“Ever since then,” he said, “I wanted one.

When Cunningham grew up, something of that boat stayed with him. He would be drawn to things that moved fast. He would sail and own everything from dinghies to racing yachts. He would race and restore sports cars. When he was 19, he started Varsity Cycles, where he would design and build some of the finest racing bikes in the world. He was 36 when he closed Varsity — he was burnt out, he said — but he still builds custom bikes for select customers today. The bikes, featherlight carbon fibre masterpieces, can sell for five figures.

Cunningham is now 57. About 10 years ago, he got sick of living in a house — “cutting the grass and all that,” he said — and decided he wanted to live on a boat. He sold his place in Langley and put the money in the bank. He started looking. He wanted a patrol boat, the kind he saw as a child.

He looked for 2 1/2 years, but the boats were rare to the point of extinction.

Then, in 2006, he found one.

It was for sale on Craigslist.

“It was in Sacramento, and I paid $20,000 for it. Uncle Sam paid $70,000 for it when it was built in 1943.”

It was built in Miami and saw action in the Pacific. It was known as a “crash boat” and was assigned to pick up downed pilots. Its hull number was P-619 — the “P” standing for “patrol.”

It was, Cunningham said, in rough but restorable shape when he got it. It was 63 feet long and 15 feet wide and had a displacement of 42,000 pounds. The original engines had been replaced by Second World War-era landing craft engines, which were workmanlike but slower. Cunningham put the boat on a trailer and hauled it north up the I-5.

“The trucker who brought it up said it was the largest boat he’s ever seen trailered up the interstate.”

When they reached Bellingham, they put it in the water and motored into Canadian waters.

“Originally, I thought, ‘I’m going to get this and make it into a really cool live-aboard.’ But people heard about it, and I started getting emails and calls from old vets who’d say that there were so few of these types of boats left and mine was the only one left of its size, and that it really deserved to be restored to its original condition, and so on and so on, and that’s what I ended up doing, restoring it.”

It is a work in progress. The Honduran mahogany hull has been refinished. The crew’s quarters, which had been refitted by the previous owner to more domestic purposes, are being restored to their original specs. Cunningham had turrets for two aft machinegun placements built and replaced. (Unfortunately, they lack working machine guns. Something about government regulations.) He found, and brought across the border, a couple of depth-charge canisters (minus the explosives), which he fitted to a crib on the stern. He and his small band of avid volunteers have refinished all the brass fixtures, and replaced hard-to-find details like an original radio and headset, clock and barometer. A lot of the stuff, he said, was found on eBay.

He also found and bought two huge original motors. Once he has replaced the landing craft motors with them, he said, the boat should be able to do its original speed of 40 knots, or about 46 m.p.h. He figures the restoration will be complete in about a year and a half.

In the meantime, he and his band of volunteers take the boat out on occasional runs. It attracts a lot of attention on the water. He finds it especially gratifying, he said, to pass guys partying in flashy speed boats. The patrol boat, big and mean-looking in its battle-grey paint job, has a jaw-dropping effect on them.

Cunningham was asked how much he has spent on the boat’s restoration.

“I stopped counting a long time ago,” he said.

But later he would say that he figures he has spent between $250,000 and $300,000 on the boat, and another $150,000 on a boathouse he was building for it.

At this, he shrugged.

“Hey,” he said, “you got to go just flat out in life, you know, because you’re dead for a long time.”

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.